Postal Ballot Paper: Ashish Chakraborty
Postal Ballot Paper: Ashish Chakraborty
Postal Ballot Paper: Ashish Chakraborty
PAPER
Prepared By :
ASHISH CHAKRABORTY
1
Voters entitled to vote by post
Relevant provisions of election law
9
Dispatch of PB to service voters
• PB for the service electors will be centrally dispatched from
the District Head Quarters itself.
• The DEO will co-ordinate with the senior officials of the Postal
Department to ensure that a team of postal department
officials receives covers containing the postal ballot papers
from that location itself and the ballots are sent to the right
address without any delay.
10
Contd…
• The details of postal ballots sent AC wise shall be
maintained in the form of a register giving the details and
the signature of the postal authorities shall be obtained
in the register.
11
Contd…
• One of the Observers available in the district
headquarters shall personally monitor the entire
process of dispatch.
• Observer to send a detailed report to the
Commission as soon as the dispatch of postal ballots
meant for service voters is completed.
• The entire process must be video graphed.
• In advance keep ready addressed Envelopes for
(Forms 13-B and 13-C), complete Form 13-D
(instructions for guidance of electors) together with
blank Form 13-A (declaration by elector).
12
Contd…
• Enter the Part Number of roll and Sr. No. of the elector on the
counterfoil.
16
Sealing of counterfoils and
marked copy of Rolls
I. Counterfoils of postal ballots, issued, shall be sealed by
RO in a packet.
17
Return of polled PB from service
voters
R.O. to give a daily report to the Observer
concerned when he starts receiving the polled
postal ballot papers from the service voters
indicating the cumulative number of such polled
PBs.
20
Contd…
c. Elector may also send intimation to RO specifying
name, address, Part No. & Sr. No. in the roll and
place of detention.
21
Issue of postal ballots to other
categories
Special voters & electors under prevention detention :-
22
Contd…
(ii) Above documents [at (a), (b), (c) and (d)] shall
be placed inside a larger cover. This cover should
be properly addressed and postage stamp shall
be affixed.
(iii) PB can be delivered personally to a special voter
in place of sending by post.
(iv) Postal ballots be issued as expeditiously as
possible.
(v) Write "W" on the cover in Form 13-C in case of
female voter.
23
Contd…
Voters on election duty --
a. Sponsoring authorities to create a database of its employees
in which all electoral information of its employees – like
complete residential address where the staff is enlisted in
the electoral roll, No. & name of Assembly Constituency, Part
No. of relevant electoral roll and the serial number at which
the name is registered, EPIC No., name of polling station,
shall be incorporated.
b. The sponsoring authority to forward the list of its employees
to the CEO / DEO with the relevant information.
c. In case electoral information in respect of any polling official
is not received from the sponsoring authority, the RO has to
collect this information using web search and SMS query
facility.
24
Contd…
d. The RO should generate through software application
in Form-12 for all the employees who are issued call
letters for training and send pre-printed Forms to the
employees along with the call letter requesting them
to bring signed applications in Form-12 on the date of
the first training.
e. RO should keep ready postal ballot papers for issue to
all employees at the time of training.
f. One officer should be deputed by RO for issue of PB
and to maintain an account thereof.
g. Postal ballot papers not issued in the first training
shall be reissued on the subsequent training.
25
Contd…
h. The RO to keep all unissued pre-prepared PBs
after all trainings are over, in a separate
sealed cover with proper record of
employees who could not be issued postal
ballot papers.
i. These employees will be entitled to vote in
person in the normal course at the polling
station in which he is registered as an elector.
26
Facility for casting of votes to
other categories
Voters on election duty --
27
Contd…
• Separate time should be allocated in the
training for explaining the procedure of
marking and depositing of postal ballot
papers.
• Time should also be given for employees to fill
up declaration in Form 13A, verification by
Gazetted officer, marking of postal ballot, and
depositing of postal ballot in the ballot box.
28
Contd…
• A ballot box shall be kept at the training
location, to facilitate employees to deposit
their postal ballots in this ballot box after
marking them.
29
Postal Ballot for Police
Personnel on poll duty
• All police force from constable to DGP are
notified under Sec.28A of R.P.Act, 1951 as on
deputation to ECI during election period.
• On the basis of judgment of Hon’ble Madras
High Court dated 22.08.2012 in W.P. No.4783 of
2006 titled K. Shivakumar Vs. CEC & Ors. all
police personnel, except those on leave during
the election period, are treated as personnel on
election duty and hence entitled to vote by
Postal Ballot.
30
Contd…
a. State Police Deptt./ Superintendent of Police to
incorporate in the database of all police personnel all
electoral information of its staff -like complete
residential address, with PIN code, where the staff is
enlisted in the electoral roll, No. & name of Assembly
Constituency, Part No. of relevant electoral roll and
the serial number at which the name is registered,
EPIC No., name of polling station etc..
• This SP should be informed about the manner in which
the electoral information can be easily found out by
doing name search on the internet at website of CEO
and also by sending SMS query.
31
Contd…
• Have to submit application in Form-12 for availing
the facility of PB, within the period given in rule
20 of C.E. Rules, 1961.
• RO to ensure issue of postal ballot papers to all
police personnel whose application in Form-12
are received in time through SP. This can be
combined with training of police officer on poll
duty.
• SP should then organize a special facilitation
camp for police officers on poll duty for casting
postal ballots.
32
Contd…
• One Gazetted officer should be deputed for attestation of
the Form of Declaration in Form-13A made by elector to
whom PB is issued.
33
Postal Ballot for Drivers/
Conductors and Cleaners
I. DEO to appoint a nodal officer for requisitioning of
vehicles for poll duty It shall be the duty of the nodal
officer to collect
II. information needed to issue postal ballots to
drivers/conductors/cleaners
III. of requisitioned vehicles. who shall collect
information from Vehicle owners about No. and name
of Assembly Constituency, EPIC no. and serial no. in
electoral roll, no. and name of polling station where
he is enrolled.
IV. Drivers/ Cleaners should bring their EPIC when they
report duty.
34
Contd…
V. One Officer well trained in the process of elector
search should be deputed.
35
Contd…
37
Register of postal ballot papers
i. A Register of PB issued to persons drafted for
election duty to be maintained.
Sl. Name of the Name and Whether the If yes, Date on Whether If yes, If no, whether Whether the
No Person drafted Number of person is Part which the person Signature of the RO has taken person voted
for election duty the Assembly registered as No. Postal collected the person action to deliver at the
and who has Constituency an elector in & Serial Ballot the Postal with date as the P.B at the facilitation
submitted in which the the Numbe Paper Ballot token of person’s centre
Form-12 for person is constituency r issued Paper in receipt address
Postal Ballot deployed on in Person of P.B. (Yes / No )
Paper election duty (Yes/No) Elector (Date of Delivery)
al (Yes/No)
Roll
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
39
Supply of second set of ballot
papers
Second postal papers along with connected
papers, may be issued only if –
a. it returned undelivered
b. elector has inadvertently spoilt it or any
connected paper in such a manner that it
cannot be used.
RO shall cancel the spoilt ballot papers so
returned, seal them in a packet and note the
Sr. No. of PB.
40
Return of postal ballot papers
i. Every day a designated officer should take all
the contents of the box, make necessary entries
in the Register.
ii. keep the register and the sealed covers of PBs
under proper lock and key.
iii. Entries in the register should be countersigned
by RO/ARO on each day.
iv. Polled PBs received back before
commencement of counting shall be treated as
received in time.
41
Contd…
v. PBs received late, i.e. after commencement of counting of
votes, not to be counted and must be rejected.
43
COUNTING OF
POSTAL BALLOT
PAPER
44
Counting of votes received by
post
Relevant provisions of election law
Sec.64 of R.P. Act, 1951 –
Done under the supervision and direction of
the RO.
Candidate/ election agent/ counting agents
have right to be present.
Rule.54A of C.E. Rules, 1961—
Counting of PBs to be taken up first.
45
steps to be taken for counting of
Postal Ballot Paper (PB)
46
Contd…
Do not open (Form13B) containing the PB If
declaration in Form 13A not found inside Form 13 B.
Reject the PB by making suitable endorsement
on the cover (Form13B) containing the PB.
The declaration in Form 13A not to be treated as
proper declaration in following cases----
Declaration is not signed by the elector;
Declaration is not attested;
Declaration is not attested by authorized person;
The Sl. No. of ballot paper is different from the Sl.No.
written on the cover in Form 13B
47
continued….
Do not open (Form13B) containing the PB
unless the declaration in Form 13A is found to
be proper.
The declarations in Form 13A not found in
order to be put back inside the respective
cover in Form 13C
All such covers in Form 13C to be kept in a
separate packet and sealed
48
Procedure for counting of PBs
Place all declarations in Form 13A found in order in a
separate packet and seal it before taking out the
polled PBs from the covers in Form 13B.
Record name of the constituency, date of counting
and a brief description of its content on the packet.
Now Open each Form 13B and take out the PB and
scrutinize to decide its validity.
Repeat this exercise till all PBs are taken out from
their covers in Form 13B.
49
Grounds for rejection of PB
If there is any mark or writing by which elector
can be identified.
If no vote is recorded.
If vote is given in favour of more than one
candidate.
If vote is recorded in such a manner that it is
doubtful to which candidate it has been given.
If it is a spurious Ballot Paper.
If the PB is not put inside the cover in Form 13B
but kept with the declaration in Form 13A inside
the larger cover in Form 13C.
50
Grounds not sufficient for rejection of PB
53
THANK YOU
54